7. People mourned Holmes’s death on both sides of the Atlantic
The public reaction to the death of Sherlock Holmes at the hands of Professor Moriarty stunned his creator. The Strand Magazine, which had launched the detective’s popularity in Britain, received hundreds of letters protesting the decision. Worse for its publishers was the number of subscribers who canceled their subscriptions in outrage. Over 20,000 cancellations at the end of the year crippled the magazine financially, for a time it seemed as if it would fold. Across the Atlantic, Holmes had appeared in several different magazines, and the financial impact was considerably less formidable. Editors received letters of protest, but few cancellations occurred.
Doyle continued to write, concentrating on historical novels, which critics considered well-written, though nothing sold with the furor of the Holmes tales. Tales circulated around London of Holmes’ fans wearing mourning bands, and the author received excoriating letters, including from his own mother. The Strand Magazine pleaded with Doyle to resurrect his detective. Around London and other cities, clubs formed, including one which called itself the Baker Street Irregulars after characters in the short stories, dedicated to keeping Holmes alive. Doyle produced a few short stories which included Holmes, or references to him, which are not considered part of the official Holmes canon, including one in which a character uses a quote attributed to Holmes in a previous story.